Winding mechanism for spring motors



0. C. LEGER. WINDING-MECHANISM FOR SPRING MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 192i.

Patented Jilly 18, 1922;

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OSVV'ALD C. LEGER, 0:6 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

WINDING MECHANISM FOR SPRING MOTORS.

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T 0 allwizom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OswALn C. Leona, a citizenof Canada, residing at LosAngeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, haveinvented a newand useful iVinding Mechanism for Spring Motors, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism which can be applied to a springmotor to wind the same, One use of the invention is to effect thewinding of the spring motors of phonographs.

In the particular instance illustrated. the mechanism is operated bymovement of the lid of the phonograph.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the upper portion of a phonograph, withthe invention installed thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of F 1, portions of the cabinetbeing shown in section, a portion of the reproducer being broken awayand the turntable omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged. plan section on the line indicated by 3 3, Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, on the line indicated by -t,Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the means for connecting the rack withthe lid.

Fig. 6 is a plan detail of the latch, the rack being shown in section.The latch is shown in solid lines in rack-engaging posi tion and isindicated in broken lines in retracted position.

The phonograph cabinet is indicated at 7 and includes a hinged lid 8 asis customary with certain styles of phonographs. The hinge of the lid isindicated at 9. The

spring motor is indicated in general by the character 10 and is providedwith the usual winding gear 11. It is customary to rotate the gear by apinion, such as that indicated at 12, mounted on a shaft 13. The shaftis journaled in bearings 14, 15 and is screwthreaded as indicated at 16for connection with the usual motor-winding handle, not shown. In thisinstance the screwthreads 16 are internal, but in some phonographs saidscrew-threads are external.

The construction so far described is old and is therefore wellunderstood by those skilled in this art and the invention which may beconstructed, if desired, as an attachment, will now be described.

Detachably engaging the screw-threads 16 Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Jen; is, me.

Application filed December as, 1921. Serial No. 525,288.

is the screw-threaded end 17 of a shaftlS. The screw-threads 16, 17 thusconstitute coupling means for the two shafts. On the shaft 18 is mounteda floating forked bracket l9 and between the forks of said bracket isspur gear 20 which is loosely mounted upon the shaft 18. On the gear 20is mount ed a tubular casing 21 provided on inner face with ratchetteeth 22. The teeth 22 are adapted to be engaged by a sliding pawl 23mounted in a slot 24 in the shaft 18 so as to slide transversely of saidshaft. This form of pawl and ratchet is not new and therefore itsconstruction and operation willbe readily understood without furtherdescription. The shaft 18, bracket 19, gear20 and casing 21 are heldassembled by a cotter pin 25 extending through the outer projecting endof the. shaft 18. The bracket 19 forms a closure for the outer end ofthe casing 21 so that the pawl will be retained in operating positionwithin the casing.

Engaging the gear 20 is a rack 26, the teeth thereof being indicated at27. The rack 26 is held against disengagement from the gear20 by a guideblock 28 which is secured by screws 29 to the bracket 19 between theforks thereof and in alinement with the gear 20. It is to be noted thatthe block 28 is spaced sufficiently from the gear 20 to permit the rackto be interposed between the gear and the block, not only, but toproduce an appreciable space between the rack and block when said rackis held in closeengagement with the gear, said space being indicated at80. If theblock 28 were to fit closely to the rack, there would be atendency for the ragk p to bind against the block when the rack isreciprocated but, because of the space, the bracket, since i floats,turns sufliciently around the shaft 18 to permit the rack to en gage theblock near one end or the other according as the rack is raised orlowered.

The rack projects through an opening 31 in the cover 32 of the motorhousing, and the upper end of said rack is pivoted at 38 to an angleplate 34 which is adapted to be fastened by screws 35-, or theirequivalents, to the inner face of the lid 8 of the phonograph. The pawland the ratchet teeth are constructed so that upon downward motion ofthe rack the teeth 22 slip by the pawl, and upon upward motion of therack the appropriate tooth engages the pawl, thus turning the shaft 18to effect winding of the spring motor 10 in a manner readily understood.It

will be readily understood that the pawl and the ratchet teeth could asreadily be constructed to effect winding oi the motor on the downwardmovement of the rack.

Phonographs ot the type having hinged lids are generally provided withcollapsible arms for supporting the lids in raised position, forconvenience of the operator in placing records on and removing them fromthe turn-tables. In this invention I have provided a device whichenablesme to hold the lid in raised position so that such collapsiblearm may be eliminated and this device comprises an arm 36 pivoted at 37to the housing cover 32 in position to project over the opening 31 andselectively engageable with the rack teeth 27 to hold the rack in anadjusted position against downward movement, thus holding the lid 8 inraised position. The arm 36 may be provided with a knob or handle 38 tomake it more convenient to operate.

The invention operates as follows: When it is desired to reproduce arecord, assuming that the lid of the phonograph is closed, the lid willbe raised, thus winding the motor. Then the latch will be engaged withthe rack to support the lid in the raised position. The desired recordwill then be placed on the 2. The combination with a phonograph 7 havinga spring motor and a lid, of a rack pivotally connected with the lid,means operated by endwise movement ofthe rack to wind the motor, andmeans mounted on the phonograph and engageable with the rack teethto'support the rack against the pressure of the lid.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 21st day of December, 1921.

()SWALD o. LEGER.

lVitnesses GEORGE H. HILns, L. Ben n WEAVER.

